Gajaraj Dhanarajan | Wawasan Open University (original) (raw)

Papers by Gajaraj Dhanarajan

All available instruments and channels of information, communications, and social action could be... more All available instruments and channels of information, communications, and social action could be used to help convey essential knowledge and inform and educate people on social issues. In addition to the traditional means, libraries, television, radio and other media can be mobilized to realize their potential towards meeting basic education needs of all".

AND DISTANCE LEARNINGHigher education has experienced phenomenal growth in all parts of Asia over... more AND DISTANCE LEARNINGHigher education has experienced phenomenal growth in all parts of Asia over the last two decades — from the Korean peninsula in the east to the western borders of Central Asia. This expansion, coupled with a diversity of delivery and technology options, has meant that more and more young Asians are experiencing tertiary education within their own countries. In South, South East and Far East Asia especially, universities, polytechnics, colleges and training institutes with a variety of forms, structures, academic programmes and funding provisions have been on an almost linear upward progression. Notwithstanding this massive expansion, equitable access is still a challenge for Asian countries. There is also concern that expansion will erode quality. The use of digital resources is seen as one way of addressing the dual challenges of quality and equity. Open educational resources (OER), free of licensing encumbrances, hold the promise of equitable access to knowle...

Colleagues, the organisers of this meeting invited me to talk of access to learning in the Asian ... more Colleagues, the organisers of this meeting invited me to talk of access to learning in the Asian context. I have, over the last three years, been reminding all those who can hear that the challenge for people like you and I is not about ways of increasing access but the means to ensure that the access we create is meaningful in the context of the societies we live in. My presentation this morning is about meaningful access and it begins with my belief that education, as a resource, is a basic and fundamental right. As Jacques Delors, the French statesman, wrote in his introduction for the Report to UNESCO of the International Commission on Education for the Twenty-first Century: Education is fundamental in the social and personal development of human beings. It is an indispensable asset for humankind as it attempts to attain the ideals of peace, freedom and social justice. I like to believe that the crafters of the report spoke of an educational provision for all and not just a few. The ALL includes individuals in our societies who for whatever reasons have been denied encouragement to consider learning opportunities. Such people in the context of this continent are many-more in millions rather than thousands. If we, as distance educators, wish to be serious about providing an educational opportunity for ALL then there are some fundamental assumptions and paradigms that requires changing. These changes are not limited to one geographical region or another; it is near universal; these changes are not limited to one sector of education or another; it is all encompassing; these changes are not limited to one part of an institution or another; it is a total transformation. I wish to take this presentation further in three parts: • First, I would like to find out whom the Asian Learner is.

Nowhere is this disparity more glaring than in the field of education. Just consider these: (i) P... more Nowhere is this disparity more glaring than in the field of education. Just consider these: (i) Participation rate at pre-tertiary levels of schooling in the OECD • countries is between 88 and 93% and at tertiary levels it is between 30 and 50%.

COL embraces the internationalisation of education but does not endorse the over-commercialisatio... more COL embraces the internationalisation of education but does not endorse the over-commercialisation of what is essentially a social good." While the Education and Training For All challenge has remained largely the same since The Commonwealth of Learning (COL) was established 12 years ago, there have been dramatic changes in the delivery mechanisms available to address that challenge.

It gives me enormous pleasure to attend this meeting today and share with you some thoughts on th... more It gives me enormous pleasure to attend this meeting today and share with you some thoughts on the environment, issues, challenges, opportunities and practise of higher distance and open education around us. I do not wish to describe ad nauseam the typologies of distance education around the globe (there are some good accounts of these which you can read for yourself), but look at some major trends that are emerging and draw some conclusions from these as to what future distance education globally may look like in the next century. As you would appreciate, given my experience, I am guided by what is happening in the dedicated distance teaching institutions around the Commonwealth rather than the entire world. However, important developments are taking place elsewhere which will have an impact on all of us. Therefore, with your indulgence, I will attempt to wrap this discussion by drawing on developments peripheral to education per se especially in areas such as the information highw...

The Commonwealth of nations is home to 1.2 billion people; one out of four human beings on earth ... more The Commonwealth of nations is home to 1.2 billion people; one out of four human beings on earth lives in one of the 53 Commonwealth countries. Almost half these nations are small with populations under a million while three (or four) of them are among the nine populous countries of the world. Except for the richer countries of the Commonwealth (Canada, Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Singapore) which are aging, the others have populations that are young (those under 15 far out number those above 65); those with younger populations are also among the poorest having a higher percentage of illiteracy and employing the working populations in less skilled and low paying jobs. The need for more education and training in these less well endowed nations is clearly obvious.

wish to benefit, then we must have the foresight, courage and determination to discard a few old ... more wish to benefit, then we must have the foresight, courage and determination to discard a few old lenses. 3. I have included training in the same breath as education. I find it difficult to separate the two. For many from the university sector, the vocationalisation of higher education has been a difficult issue to confront. This discomfort was carefully and sensitively voiced not too long ago, by the President of the Association of Indian Universities, Professor Navin Nigam. 2 Professor Nigam bemoaned the fact that universities "have become more utilitarian in their focus" and perhaps the "pendulum has gone too far" in this direction to the detriment of enrolments (and therefore funding) in humanities, social sciences, literature, art, culture and ethics. While it is difficult not to express sympathy for Professor Nigam's plea, it is also pertinent, in the context of a new global millennium, to give hearing to another voice from this country. That voice belongs to Professor Yoginder K. Alagh 3 who argues for a " structural reform of Indian education". In this reform, higher education is expected to provide a " truly responsive and interactive environment" for the pursuit of studies in science and technology which has a major role to play in " the emerging context of globalisation and competitive economy".

1. Colleagues, allow me a minute to thank the organisers of this Conference and the Asian Associa... more 1. Colleagues, allow me a minute to thank the organisers of this Conference and the Asian Association of Open Universities (AAOU) for this delightful opportunity to share some thoughts with you on a subject that is becoming increasingly important for education, generally, and higher education, particularly. The AAOU which is in its eleventh year of existence, has become an important forum for distance and open education in the region. Increasingly, it is being seen as a remarkable role model for professional distance education associations across the developing world. At the same time, its members are also held in high regard by peers across the world for the single minded way in which they have gone about creating their own forum to discuss issues of importance to their professional development. We, at The Commonwealth of Learning, are immensely proud of our association with you; in one way or another we have found occasions to work with your association on matters of mutual intere...

Ladies and gentlemen, good morning, and Professor Larson, thank you very much for this invitation... more Ladies and gentlemen, good morning, and Professor Larson, thank you very much for this invitation to be here as a fresh face. I'm really delighted, and terribly impressed, by both the diversity and the richness of the conversations that have been taking place since yesterday. It's absolutely wonderful to be part of this very eminent community. Professor Larson said that I have vast experience in e-learning. I just wish to make a slight change to that. It's more to do with distance education than e-learning. I am a neophyte in terms of e-learning, and that probably will explain why I am a little bit nervous, both with the technology that I'm using, as well as the audience I'm talking to.

With delivery of educational products now worth around US$27 billion in pure international trade ... more With delivery of educational products now worth around US$27 billion in pure international trade terms (from the WTO), it is not difficult to see why predatory entrepreneurs and cash-strapped vice-chancellors find this service an attractive option, Dr Raj Dhanarajan told the conference. ("Educational products" includes international students attending campus-based programs, distance education offerings and online learning.)

A good part of humanity is still denied access to an equal share of the planet's wealth, to j... more A good part of humanity is still denied access to an equal share of the planet's wealth, to justice, to a decent living; the disparity between those who have and those who do not in terms of food, health care and social security continues to be appalling. This disparity is not just between rich and poor nations but also within nations and communities. Nowhere in these equations of disparities will one find something greater than that seen in education and educational provisions.

Convergence of distance and conventional education: international perspectives by Professor Gajar... more Convergence of distance and conventional education: international perspectives by Professor Gajaraj Dhanarajan, President, The Commonwealth of Learning, Vancouver, to the Cambridge International Conference on Open and Distance Learning "The Convergence of distance and conventional education: Patterns of flexibility for the individual learner" Madingley Hall, Cambridge, England, 23-26 September 1997

The Commonwealth of Learning "All available instruments and channels of information, communicatio... more The Commonwealth of Learning "All available instruments and channels of information, communications, and social action could be used to help convey essential knowledge and inform and educate people on social issues. In addition to the traditional means, libraries, television, radio and other media can be mobilized to realize their potential towards meeting basic education needs of all".

Open educational resources (OERs), a disruptive technology, made their appearance in early 2002 a... more Open educational resources (OERs), a disruptive technology, made their appearance in early 2002 as a promising tool for enhancing the quality of and access to education generally and higher education in particular. OERs were also perceived to have the potential to reduce costs by reusing learning materials. This brief draws on a study that reviewed the uptake of OERs and related activities in six institutions in Hong Kong, China; India; Malaysia; Pakistan; and Thailand.

1. Let me begin by congratulating the Open Learning Institute of Hong Kong on this magnificent oc... more 1. Let me begin by congratulating the Open Learning Institute of Hong Kong on this magnificent occasion when you take possession and ownership of your new campus. The council, staff, students and the community of Hong Kong can take pride in the fact that each group has made its contribution in one way or another in making this campus a reality. Many of you here today will recollect the difficult days of long ago when the very need for and the viability of this institution was questioned and at stake. You have come a long way, since then, as an educational provider for those parts of your community which desperately need such opportunities. Your confidence in what you do and they way you are doing it are testaments to the human spirit which, despite adversity and impediments has that capacity to innovate, design and accomplish tasks to which it makes a commitment; in your case that commitment is to provide access to education to the people of Hong Kong regardless of gender, age, prio...

The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 2009

This article explores a number of challenges faced by e-learning or distance educators in develop... more This article explores a number of challenges faced by e-learning or distance educators in developing and emerging countries, provides a context for many of the challenges, and outlines some measures devised to overcome them. These educators must determine a sound rationale for employing online learning, recognize that technology is only part of the educational transformation process, address the lack of infrastructure and the cost of internet bandwidth and equipment, counter the cultural imperialism of courseware from Western nations, deal with limited educational resources, place a greater emphasis on quality assurance systems and change negative perceptions of distance education, respond to the needs and concerns of both students and faculty, access or develop up-to-date educational resources, and consider the implementation of mobile learning. The continued growth and success of distance education in developing and emerging nations will depend on the extent to which issues covere...

This paper explains how worldwide economic, social, and technological changes are necessitating c... more This paper explains how worldwide economic, social, and technological changes are necessitating changes in the way vocational education is delivered. Vocational programs are encountering a whole new range of clients, including the following: people who are functionally illiterate, physically challenged, or long-term unemployed; out-of-work youth; women and girls; refugees and immigrants; and nonnationals. Technology must play a greater role in the delivery of vocational education for many reasons: short supply of teaching talent; worldwide unmet demand for training; changing patterns of learning; increasing need for just-in-time training as the pace of change in the workplace continues to accelerate; information explosion; and ever-changing nature of learning technologies. Moreover, advances in communication have made distance education more feasible than ever and enabled small, specialized providers of educational services to compete with large providers and offer their services globally. Individuals responsible for planning the delivery of vocational education must face six challenges: reorient teachers and pedagogy; change the nature and structure of teaching organizations; remove the "time-driven" element from today's educational institutions; overcome faculty fears regarding their changing roles; develop appropriate curricula; and increase learners' access to technology. Perhaps the biggest challenge is to create pedagogies of learning within which modes of delivery will contribute to effective learning. (MN)

The International Review of Research in Open and Distributed Learning, 2009